Bonnet Carre Spillway road reopens in St.Charles Parish

Brett Duke/The Times-PicayuneWater runs over the Spillway Road in the Bonnet Carre Spillway in this picture from May 15, 2009. The Mississippi River's seasonal rise often prompts the closure of the road. The road was reopened Monday.

St. Charles Parish officials have reopened Spillway Road connecting Norco and Montz, even though damaged spots in the pavement haven't been completely repaired.

Parish spokeswoman Renee Allemand Simpson said Monday that the parish is are looking for the money to repair the road. Workers filled the damaged sections of the road with compacted limestone.

The speed limit on the road will be 25 mph.

Simpson said the parish doesn't have the equipment to re-pave the sections that were damaged by Mississippi River water running through the Bonnet Carre Spillway this spring, and have to decide where the money will come from.

The parish may seek assistance from the Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the spillway.

The 1.3 mile-long road was badly damaged by 2008's opening of the spillway. This year's damage was caused by water leaking through the closed spillway gates, which happens to varying degrees ever year as the river rises. This year's water was higher than average.

Matt Scallan can be reached at mscallan@timespicayune.com or 985. 652.0953.